Predicting Achievement: Confidence vs Self-Efficacy, Anxiety, and Self-Concept in Confucian and European Countries

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  • Additional Information
    • Availability:
      Elsevier. 3251 Riverport Lane, Maryland Heights, MO 63043. Tel: 800-325-4177; Tel: 314-447-8000; Fax: 314-447-8033; e-mail: [email protected]; Web site: http://www.elsevier.com
    • Peer Reviewed:
      Y
    • Source:
      18
    • Education Level:
      Elementary Secondary Education
      Secondary Education
    • Subject Terms:
      Foreign Countries; Mathematics Achievement; Accuracy; Self Efficacy; Multiple Regression Analysis; Structural Equation Models; Mathematics Anxiety; Self Concept; Construct Validity; Secondary School Students; Predictor Variables; Comparative Analysis; Measures (Individuals); Confucianism; Asians; Cross Cultural Studies; Psychometrics
    • Subject Terms:
      Denmark; Finland; Hong Kong; Latvia; Netherlands; Serbia; Singapore; South Korea; Taiwan
    • Accession Number:
      10.1016/j.ijer.2012.11.002
    • ISSN:
      0883-0355
    • Abstract:
      This study investigates the structure and cross-cultural (in)variance of mathematical self-beliefs in relation to mathematics achievement in two world regions: Confucian Asia (Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan) and Europe (Denmark, The Netherlands, Finland, Serbia and Latvia). This is done both pan-culturally and at a multigroup-level, employing multiple regression analysis and structural equation modeling on a sample of 7167 students (modal age 15.1) from nine countries in Confucian Asia and Europe. As expected, Confucian Asian countries were lower on self-concept and higher on math anxiety than European countries. In contrast, confidence, a relatively new measure of self-belief, shows little difference between regions, yet is the single most important predictor of math accuracy both within each country and pan-culturally. It accounts for most of the variance explained by the other self-constructs combined, has excellent psychometric properties, and is simple to administer. Self-efficacy adds only a very small amount of incremental validity when confidence is in the equation. There are significant differences between the two world regions in terms of calibration--Europeans are more overconfident--due to lower overall mathematics scores of students from Serbia and Latvia. (Contains 9 tables and 9 figures.)
    • Abstract:
      As Provided
    • Publication Date:
      2013
    • Accession Number:
      EJ1005492